Junior Bridget Cannon got Ramapo even before it went on to a 3-1 win over NV/Old Tappan in the semifinals of the North 1, Group 3 state sectional tournament.
OLD TAPPAN – What angle to take? It's a tough decision and one that a defender has to make over and over again against Ramapo striker Mary Grusser. She is fast, really fast, and there are many ways that she can create havoc on her way to goal. Try to play even and Grusser will time her runs and then win the race to any ball played through by her teammates, who revel in sending her past defenders and in on the keeper. Lay back and Grusser changes roles, picking out teammates running through the channels.
"That is pressure that the Ramapo offense generates and it keeps at it for the full 80 minutes as it did on Wednesday at Northern Valley/Old Tappan in the North 1, Group 3 state sectional semifinals.
"I just like to get the ball behind the defenders, as one does, and we knew that a long ball might not work every time because Old Tappan's defense is tall and strong," said Grusser. "Getting the ball in behind was the best strategy and from there it could be lights out because we will find a way to get it done."
After falling behind by a goal against a quality side playing on its own home field, Ramapo did find a way to get it done. The Green Raiders regained the lead by halftime, scored early in the second half to get a cushion and then used their possession offense as a viable defense the see things out.
With a 3-1 win, Ramapo, the No. 3 seed, advanced to the section final where it will host No. 4 Morris Knolls in the on Saturday in Franklin Lakes.
"We have a lot of seniors and a lot of these girls were playing serious minutes as freshmen when we won [the Group 3 state title]. When you get a taste of it you want it so much more," said Ramapo head coach Maddie Gibbs. "They also know what it takes complete the job. It's going to take our best effort."
Bella Zingarelli gave Old Tappan the lead 10 minutes into the game.
Based on power points, Old Tappan was the higher seed, but if head-to-head was the sole criteria then Ramapo would have been the favorite with its 4-0 win earlier this season. It was important for the Golden Knights' confidence to get off to a good start and they could not have hoped for a better one. Ten minutes in, Isabella Zingarelli positioned herself behind a deflected ball and blasted it in for a 1-0 Old Tappan lead.
Ramapo was undeterred, however, and just kept working combinations played to feet until the right opportunity for the equalizer materialized. Ramapo uses all 10 field players in the build up and was really pinging it around on the left flank with Kyra Magerko, Bridget Cannon, Ashley DeLeo and Grusser all poking and prodding. They finally found the right rhythm with Grusser dropping a pass back to Cannon, who used her first touch to tie the game from the middle of the field in the 16th minute.
Ramapo spent considerable time in the final third throughout the rest of the first half, but Old Tappan was weathering the storm. Sophomore keeper Lea Savino made a tough save of a Grusser shot in the 21st minute, and another, this low and across goal, to keep out a volley that Amelia Ruebenacker put on frame off a feed from Cannon. Then there was the 50-yard run that Grusser went on that saw her accelerate right between and past the last two defenders only to see her shot from the right channel trickle past the opposite post.
Old Tappan was just about five minutes from getting into halftime in a tie game, but Grusser was not done running. She caught up to a perfectly weighted through ball from Ashley DeLeo that left two defenders in chase mode then buried her chance to make it 2-1 5:07 before the intermission.
Kyra Magerko and Ramapo will host Morris Knolls in Saturday's section final.
"Our goal is to make the other team uncomfortable. We want to win the ball back, keep it moving, get it to Mary and keeping the pressure on. We love to play her those through balls in behind," said DeLeo, the senior midfielder who will play next year and William & Mary. "I think that one thing that we do well is that, as a midfield, we never stop. Me, Grace and Gia [Leone] want to just keep going and it all starts there with effort."
Senior Grace Saxton pounded in a deflected ball just 2:36 into the second half to push Ramapo's advantage to 3-1. Ramapo keeper Annie Landers' toughest save of the second half was the steady grab of an Elena Pothos rip in the 51st minute and the Raiders saw out the game from there.
Ramapo is now three wins away from its second Group 3 state title in the last four years with the first of them coming home on Saturday.
"We are honored to have this opportunity. It's all about the team that we were able to get ourselves here and now we have to go and finish it," said Grusser. "And I believe we will."
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